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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27335560">your arms never withhold</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/wrennette/pseuds/wrennette'>wrennette</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>sustained effort toward an ideal [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blanket Permission, Gen, do not copy to another site</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 23:47:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,146</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27335560</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/wrennette/pseuds/wrennette</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ahsoka receives a gift from Barriss, shares with Torrent Co., and receives their help in making something in return.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ahsoka Tano &amp; Torrent Company, Barriss Offee &amp; Ahsoka Tano, Barriss Offee/Ahsoka Tano, pre-barrissoka</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>sustained effort toward an ideal [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1961518</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>139</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>your arms never withhold</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Title from "Loneliness" by Mary Oliver.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Barriss had pressed the squishy bundle into Ahsoka's hands the last time they saw one another in person, and Ahsoka had been so dazed by the soft shy kiss Barriss pressed to her cheek that she'd completely forgotten about the gift. She'd just stared at Barriss' retreating back as she followed Master Luminara away, poleaxed. It wasn't until she realized she was hugging something soft that Ahsoka remembered the package, and she had scurried away to her bunk and stared at it like it might grow legs and dance.</p>
<p>Ahsoka hadn't been able to open the package that day. She'd wanted a little time and privacy, since just looking at the bundle made her blush. She hadn't been able to open it in the following week either, since they were called into a ground campaign, and she left her gift in her bunk, knowing she wouldn't have time until they were safely back aboard. That had been nearly a month ago, as one engagement had careened into another and another and another with hardly any time to breathe in between. </p>
<p>Finally though, Ahsoka was clean and rested on the flagship, her gift from Barriss on her lap. Carefully she unwound the striped blue and white ribbon that bound the whole thing up. While Ahsoka wasn't psychometric by any stretch of the imagination, the ribbon was so permeated with the feeling of Barriss' care and affection, warmth of a sort that had nothing to do with touch practically emanated from the length of it. Ahsoka just sat with that for a while, gently stroking her fingers along the smooth strands of the weave. Barriss had made this for her. She felt her cheeks heat with delight, and with an affection that matched that with which the ribbon was woven. </p>
<p>Still blushing, Ahsoka unwrapped the length of cloth within. It was a few handspans in width and, to Ahsoka's surprise, woven in traditional patterns from Shili, rather than the more geometric patterns more prevalent in Mirialan weaving. She knew that Master Luminara and Master Shaak were good friends, and when Master Shaak was teaching Ahsoka in preparation for her Akul hunt, she'd shown Ahsoka the beautiful wall hangings in her quarters that Master Luminara had woven - some traditional Mirialan, some Shilian, and some a fusion of both. Even then, Ahsoka had been able to feel the care, affection, respect, and admiration for Master Shaak that Master Luminara had woven into those tapestries, and Master Shaak had felt the same warm emotions for Master Luminara. </p>
<p>Ahsoka set aside the rest of the package for the moment, and laid out the hanging Barriss had sent her. She traced the patterns that curled through it, this motif wishing happiness, that one hoping for health and safety. Leaning down, she pressed her face into the silky fabric, nearly overwhelmed by the depth of emotion that Barriss had woven in. She knew that Barriss had only picked up weaving in the time since the war began, but it was clear her friend had already learned the trick of ensuring the recipient of a gift felt the care put into its making. </p>
<p>She would have to make something in turn, Ahsoka decided. She wasn't a crafter herself, but there were other ways besides handicraft to ensure someone knew they were cared for. For the moment, she rose, and found the perfect place to hang Barriss' gift, so it would be the first thing she saw every time she walked into her bunk. With a smile, she used a high-strength magnet to secure the hanging to the wall. </p>
<p>Turning back to the bed, Ahsoka smiled at the pile of gifts that had been wrapped up in the hanging. They were small, but no less precious. As the outer ribbon had been striped in blue and white in clear echo of Ahsoka's montrals and lekku, the lengths within were woven with geometric Mirialan patterns of protection. Each was just long enough to be secured around a trooper's wrist, and Ahsoka remembered that she had seen similar bracelets in green and white on the wrists of the troopers in Barriss and Master Luminara's charge. </p>
<p>Setting aside the long ribbon that was clearly part of the gift for Ahsoka, she gathered up the bracelets. Many of the troopers had picked up crafts, although more by the example from their brothers in other battalions than through any inspiration from Ahsoka or her own Master. She knew Anakin <i>knew</i> some handicrafts, but he didn't seem inclined to participate in crafting circle, and she could rarely sit still long enough to complete a craft even when she was an Initiate, so she'd never asked for his instruction on that subject. </p>
<p>Gifts in hand, Ahsoka went down to the barracks. She wasn't surprised to find all of Torrent Company in their racks, some with disassembled blasters laid out for maintenance, others reading or chatting or singing or working on puzzles or handicrafts of their own. Rex looked up first, dark eyes warm. </p>
<p>"Don't get up," Ahsoka said, smiling as she felt their affection and respect swell up to envelope her. "Barriss sent some gifts a while ago, but I didn't have the chance to bring them down until now. Sorry about the wait." She spread out the ribbon bracelets, and the troopers were already gathering around, looking in quiet appreciation. "The pattern is traditional on Mirial, for protection." Carefully, they picked up their gifts, and while they might not be able to feel in the Force, the care Barriss had infused the ribbons with, they could see it in the craftsmanship. </p>
<p>"Thank her for us?" Rex asked, looking up from securing the ribbon around his wrist. </p>
<p>"I will, I've been thinking of what I might be able to do for her and her troopers, since I'm not much of a maker myself," Ahsoka said with a smile, and Rex dipped his head with a smile of his own. </p>
<p>"We can help," Fives piped up. "I'm not real good at it, certainly not this good, but I'm getting decent at crochet." The others chorused their agreement, and Ahsoka's smile widened. While she'd dismissed making something on her own, doing it with the troopers of Torrent Company might just be fun. She always enjoyed spending time with them, and getting to know them better.</p>
<p>"That would be great, we can all work on it together," Ahsoka said. "I've mostly forgotten how to crochet, but if you guys don't mind teaching me, it'd be a lot more fun as a group project." They cheered at that, and promptly started scuffling about, putting away what they had been working on in favour of producing their yarn and hooks. A hook was soon pressed into Ahsoka's hand, and she found herself squished between Tup and Echo, carefully watching their fingers as they laid out their foundation chains.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i'm @wrennette on tumblr, pillowfort and dreamwidth, feel free to come say hi!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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